The interface between knowledge management and human resources: a qualitative study.
- Authors: Smith, Helena
- Date: 2007-11-21T09:25:46Z
- Subjects: knowledge management , personnel management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13126 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/130
- Description: The aim of the study was to obtain new insight into the phenomenon of knowledge management (KM) in modern-day organisations and the role Human Resources (HR) plays in facilitating access to knowledge via knowledge holders (employees). The study aims to contribute to both theoretical and practical use of KM and HR in the South African context. A qualitative methodological approach, modern qualitative research, and more specifically the grounded theory approach of Strauss and Corbin was used to carry out the research. The study’s unit of analysis was individuals, viz knowledge managers in organisations or individuals knowledgeable about the topic within organisations in South Africa’s Gauteng Province. The particular qualitative selection procedure used was theoretical sampling with snowball or chain sampling employed as sampling method. Although multimethods of data collection were used, the principal method consisted of unstructured in-depth interviews supported by participant observation. Three preliminary interviews were conducted during the feasibility study and followed by seven focussed interviews. The unstructured data was systematically analysed utilising the grounded theory methodology aimed at the development of a substantive theory. Three themes, namely Organisation, Human Resources and Knowledge Management were found to be particularly prominent in influencing the role HR plays in relation to and in support of KM in organisations. Three categories developed from the data analyses were the importance of organisational knowledge, management of knowledge and linking people to share knowledge. This triad formed the cornerstones of the theory. After conclusion of the data analysis a literature review was conducted to establish what the current literature reveals on the topics of KM and HR. To further substantiate the theory, it was compared with prominent concepts from the relevant theoretical and empirical research. From this it became clear that the role of HR in the knowledge organisation had changed and the prime focal point of HR would be the facilitation of knowledge sharing by linking people with one another and creating opportunities during which they could request and discuss specific knowledge. These linking processes may entail structural and paradigm adjustments, and initiating and encouraging informal shared learning opportunities. This resulted in changes in the role of HR and human resource management (HRM) practices, philosophies, and principles. As key holders of knowledge assets, employees have to be approached and managed differently, and at the same time understand their roles and responsibilities in the knowledge organisation. Essentially, optimal knowledge creation and use need to take place in a trusting environment and culture that supports, motivates and acknowledges knowledge sharing amongst employees. This study stresses the importance of the relationship between and the dependence of KM on HR and human resources in knowledge organisations. This would however require changes in the HR field and recommendations in this regard were made. , Dr. Willem Schurink
- Full Text:
- Authors: Smith, Helena
- Date: 2007-11-21T09:25:46Z
- Subjects: knowledge management , personnel management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13126 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/130
- Description: The aim of the study was to obtain new insight into the phenomenon of knowledge management (KM) in modern-day organisations and the role Human Resources (HR) plays in facilitating access to knowledge via knowledge holders (employees). The study aims to contribute to both theoretical and practical use of KM and HR in the South African context. A qualitative methodological approach, modern qualitative research, and more specifically the grounded theory approach of Strauss and Corbin was used to carry out the research. The study’s unit of analysis was individuals, viz knowledge managers in organisations or individuals knowledgeable about the topic within organisations in South Africa’s Gauteng Province. The particular qualitative selection procedure used was theoretical sampling with snowball or chain sampling employed as sampling method. Although multimethods of data collection were used, the principal method consisted of unstructured in-depth interviews supported by participant observation. Three preliminary interviews were conducted during the feasibility study and followed by seven focussed interviews. The unstructured data was systematically analysed utilising the grounded theory methodology aimed at the development of a substantive theory. Three themes, namely Organisation, Human Resources and Knowledge Management were found to be particularly prominent in influencing the role HR plays in relation to and in support of KM in organisations. Three categories developed from the data analyses were the importance of organisational knowledge, management of knowledge and linking people to share knowledge. This triad formed the cornerstones of the theory. After conclusion of the data analysis a literature review was conducted to establish what the current literature reveals on the topics of KM and HR. To further substantiate the theory, it was compared with prominent concepts from the relevant theoretical and empirical research. From this it became clear that the role of HR in the knowledge organisation had changed and the prime focal point of HR would be the facilitation of knowledge sharing by linking people with one another and creating opportunities during which they could request and discuss specific knowledge. These linking processes may entail structural and paradigm adjustments, and initiating and encouraging informal shared learning opportunities. This resulted in changes in the role of HR and human resource management (HRM) practices, philosophies, and principles. As key holders of knowledge assets, employees have to be approached and managed differently, and at the same time understand their roles and responsibilities in the knowledge organisation. Essentially, optimal knowledge creation and use need to take place in a trusting environment and culture that supports, motivates and acknowledges knowledge sharing amongst employees. This study stresses the importance of the relationship between and the dependence of KM on HR and human resources in knowledge organisations. This would however require changes in the HR field and recommendations in this regard were made. , Dr. Willem Schurink
- Full Text:
Developing core capabilities in a financial services firm: an intellectual capital perspective.
- Authors: Ungerer, Marius
- Date: 2007-12-06T05:51:06Z
- Subjects: intellectual capital , financial services industry , organizational change , knowledge management , South Africa
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13867 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/141
- Description: One of the basic assumptions associated with the theoretical model as described in this article is that an organisation (a system) can acquire capabilities through intentional strategic and operational initiatives. This intentional capability-building process also implies that the organisation intends to use these capabilities in a constructive way to increase competitive advantage for the firm. The creation of conducive and attractive conditions for enhancing a firm’s capability-building process is central to the theoretical model as described in this article. The key building blocks that create favourable conditions for the development of organisational capabilities from an Intellectual Capital perspective are defined in the theoretical model and consist of the following five constructs: - A Strategic Architecture that provides guidance on the strategic intent, focus and boundaries of the organisation. - An Intellectual Capital Framework that creates a basis for a normative-, strategic- and operational view to stimulate ideas on how to make intellectual capital a practical reality and to utilise these insights in the development of the organisation’s core capabilities. - A Core Capability Framework that reflects the content and processes related to the identification, description, evaluation and assumptions associated with the firm’s core capabilities. The Core Capability Framework also facilitates the integration of the concepts “core capabilities” and “intellectual capital”. - An Operationalisation Framework to leverage core capabilities from an Intellectual Capital perspective in a pragmatic way to realise tangible competitive benefits not only from individual capabilities, but also through the conscious collective use of bundles of capabilities. - A change enablement process that stimulates knowledge flows between the above key constructs of the conceptual model. This creates the basis for cognitive and emotional leverages to increase the potential of an organisation to successfully implement a strategic approach to the management of core capabilities from an Intellectual Capital perspective. Raising the awareness and capacity of the organisation on the above five constructs creates the basis for an increase in the potential to make positive progress on this strategic journey of discovery to manage the growth of intellectual capital in a holistic way by focusing on core capabilities. , Prof. Koos Uys
- Full Text:
- Authors: Ungerer, Marius
- Date: 2007-12-06T05:51:06Z
- Subjects: intellectual capital , financial services industry , organizational change , knowledge management , South Africa
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13867 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/141
- Description: One of the basic assumptions associated with the theoretical model as described in this article is that an organisation (a system) can acquire capabilities through intentional strategic and operational initiatives. This intentional capability-building process also implies that the organisation intends to use these capabilities in a constructive way to increase competitive advantage for the firm. The creation of conducive and attractive conditions for enhancing a firm’s capability-building process is central to the theoretical model as described in this article. The key building blocks that create favourable conditions for the development of organisational capabilities from an Intellectual Capital perspective are defined in the theoretical model and consist of the following five constructs: - A Strategic Architecture that provides guidance on the strategic intent, focus and boundaries of the organisation. - An Intellectual Capital Framework that creates a basis for a normative-, strategic- and operational view to stimulate ideas on how to make intellectual capital a practical reality and to utilise these insights in the development of the organisation’s core capabilities. - A Core Capability Framework that reflects the content and processes related to the identification, description, evaluation and assumptions associated with the firm’s core capabilities. The Core Capability Framework also facilitates the integration of the concepts “core capabilities” and “intellectual capital”. - An Operationalisation Framework to leverage core capabilities from an Intellectual Capital perspective in a pragmatic way to realise tangible competitive benefits not only from individual capabilities, but also through the conscious collective use of bundles of capabilities. - A change enablement process that stimulates knowledge flows between the above key constructs of the conceptual model. This creates the basis for cognitive and emotional leverages to increase the potential of an organisation to successfully implement a strategic approach to the management of core capabilities from an Intellectual Capital perspective. Raising the awareness and capacity of the organisation on the above five constructs creates the basis for an increase in the potential to make positive progress on this strategic journey of discovery to manage the growth of intellectual capital in a holistic way by focusing on core capabilities. , Prof. Koos Uys
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Intellectual capital management at universities.
- Authors: Kok, Johan Andrew
- Date: 2008-04-23T05:40:51Z
- Subjects: Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit employees , knowledge management , intellectual capital management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:8552 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/277
- Description: This research commenced by looking at what the knowledge economy is and what the driving forces are. In order to decide on how knowledge in this new economy can be managed, it was first necessary to define the concept of knowledge. The difference between tacit and explicit knowledge and the interaction between the two were discussed and at the end ways of managing this knowledge were investigated. In a discussion of the term knowledge management it was concluded that it can be regarded as the handling of tacit and explicit objects of knowledge through information systems, so that it enhances innovation and learning in the enterprise. However, when this knowledge is used for creating economic value, it becomes an item of capital and it is therefore necessary to determine what Intellectual Capital is. The history of Intellectual Capital was discussed and in defining Intellectual Capital seven different models for Intellectual Capital were studied. It was found that Intellectual Capital is subdivided into three major components, viz. Human Capital, Structural Capital and Customer Capital. Each of these components was then thoroughly described and discussed. The aim of the research was to study the explicit management and measurement models of Intellectual Capital that would improve understanding of the mechanisms by which value is created and extracted. The different approaches that can be followed in managing Intellectual Capital were investigated. It was concluded that the three major components cannot be seen as independent from each other and must therefore be managed as a whole. The management of the interaction between the three components can be seen as the management of the intellectual assets of an organisation and this consists of two phases, viz. value creation and value extraction. In order to determine how successful an organisation is in managing its Intellectual Capital this management needs to be measured. The vehicle for measuring performance is a model with a set of indicators in each of the three major components. It was found that measurement models can be divided into four major categories: • Market capitalisation methods • Return on assets methods • Direct intellectual capital methods, and • Scorecard methods. Twenty-seven different models were investigated in order to understand which indicators were necessary to measure Intellectual Capital in an organisation. In order to propose a new framework a study was firstly done on what a framework should look like and which elements should be included. Thereafter an investigation was done to determine which indicators should be included in such a framework. As it was found that such a framework is very organisation-specific, a brief overview of the RAU was given and according to the strategic objectives of the University as set out in the three-year rolling plan a set of indicators was decided upon. It was necessary that each of these indicators indicate whether the University had been successful in the key performance area through the management of its Intellectual Capital. The criteria and indicators identified were applied in the composition of a new model in an effort to find a suitable model for use at universities. The evaluation process turned up the scorecard models as the most suitable for applying in this instance. An attempt was therefore made to modify and adjust these types of models to answer all the requirements of the University. Meeting the requirement that indicators from all three major components must be present was possible. Efforts to adapt existing models in such a way that sub-components can also be measured were met successfully. This model was then tested at RAU and it was measured whether the management of Intellectual Capital contributed to reaching the University’s strategic goals. , Prof. A.S.A. Du Toit
- Full Text:
- Authors: Kok, Johan Andrew
- Date: 2008-04-23T05:40:51Z
- Subjects: Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit employees , knowledge management , intellectual capital management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:8552 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/277
- Description: This research commenced by looking at what the knowledge economy is and what the driving forces are. In order to decide on how knowledge in this new economy can be managed, it was first necessary to define the concept of knowledge. The difference between tacit and explicit knowledge and the interaction between the two were discussed and at the end ways of managing this knowledge were investigated. In a discussion of the term knowledge management it was concluded that it can be regarded as the handling of tacit and explicit objects of knowledge through information systems, so that it enhances innovation and learning in the enterprise. However, when this knowledge is used for creating economic value, it becomes an item of capital and it is therefore necessary to determine what Intellectual Capital is. The history of Intellectual Capital was discussed and in defining Intellectual Capital seven different models for Intellectual Capital were studied. It was found that Intellectual Capital is subdivided into three major components, viz. Human Capital, Structural Capital and Customer Capital. Each of these components was then thoroughly described and discussed. The aim of the research was to study the explicit management and measurement models of Intellectual Capital that would improve understanding of the mechanisms by which value is created and extracted. The different approaches that can be followed in managing Intellectual Capital were investigated. It was concluded that the three major components cannot be seen as independent from each other and must therefore be managed as a whole. The management of the interaction between the three components can be seen as the management of the intellectual assets of an organisation and this consists of two phases, viz. value creation and value extraction. In order to determine how successful an organisation is in managing its Intellectual Capital this management needs to be measured. The vehicle for measuring performance is a model with a set of indicators in each of the three major components. It was found that measurement models can be divided into four major categories: • Market capitalisation methods • Return on assets methods • Direct intellectual capital methods, and • Scorecard methods. Twenty-seven different models were investigated in order to understand which indicators were necessary to measure Intellectual Capital in an organisation. In order to propose a new framework a study was firstly done on what a framework should look like and which elements should be included. Thereafter an investigation was done to determine which indicators should be included in such a framework. As it was found that such a framework is very organisation-specific, a brief overview of the RAU was given and according to the strategic objectives of the University as set out in the three-year rolling plan a set of indicators was decided upon. It was necessary that each of these indicators indicate whether the University had been successful in the key performance area through the management of its Intellectual Capital. The criteria and indicators identified were applied in the composition of a new model in an effort to find a suitable model for use at universities. The evaluation process turned up the scorecard models as the most suitable for applying in this instance. An attempt was therefore made to modify and adjust these types of models to answer all the requirements of the University. Meeting the requirement that indicators from all three major components must be present was possible. Efforts to adapt existing models in such a way that sub-components can also be measured were met successfully. This model was then tested at RAU and it was measured whether the management of Intellectual Capital contributed to reaching the University’s strategic goals. , Prof. A.S.A. Du Toit
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Knowledge management as a management tool.
- Authors: Sobahle, Sivuyisiwe
- Date: 2008-04-24T12:36:49Z
- Subjects: knowledge management , strategic planning
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6696 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/309
- Description: This study is on the concept of knowledge management and how it can be applied in the organisation as a management tool. Although various organisations are implementing the concept, many managers are very uncertain what the concept entails. The research problem is the misconception that exists about the term knowledge management and how knowledge management can be used as a management tool in the organisation. The research problem is further divided into three sub-problems: what does the concept knowledge management entail, various misconceptions that exist between the concepts information management and knowledge management and what is the contribution of knowledge management to managing a business. The overall research objective that forms the basis of the study is whether knowledge management is a beneficial tool for management in an organisation. The research objective is divided into four objectives. The first objective is to distinguish between related concepts, namely data, information, knowledge and wisdom. The second research objective is to explore the essence of knowledge management. The third research objective is to examine the role, essential character traits and skills of a chief knowledge officer. The fourth research objective is to evaluate knowledge management. The research methodology that was utilised for this research was literature from books and academic journals. The Internet was utilised as major source to obtain papers written by researchers and theorists on the subject of knowledge and knowledge management. Interviews were obtained online from consultants who interviewed managers from around the world on knowledge management and their view were incorporated into the research. The research was able to meet the overall objective that knowledge management can be a beneficial tool for management. However, it has to be utilised following a certain strategy to be successful in an organisation. This strategy will vary for each organisation as each organisation has different goals and objectives and a different manner in which it utilises knowledge. , Prof. N. Lessing
- Full Text:
- Authors: Sobahle, Sivuyisiwe
- Date: 2008-04-24T12:36:49Z
- Subjects: knowledge management , strategic planning
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6696 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/309
- Description: This study is on the concept of knowledge management and how it can be applied in the organisation as a management tool. Although various organisations are implementing the concept, many managers are very uncertain what the concept entails. The research problem is the misconception that exists about the term knowledge management and how knowledge management can be used as a management tool in the organisation. The research problem is further divided into three sub-problems: what does the concept knowledge management entail, various misconceptions that exist between the concepts information management and knowledge management and what is the contribution of knowledge management to managing a business. The overall research objective that forms the basis of the study is whether knowledge management is a beneficial tool for management in an organisation. The research objective is divided into four objectives. The first objective is to distinguish between related concepts, namely data, information, knowledge and wisdom. The second research objective is to explore the essence of knowledge management. The third research objective is to examine the role, essential character traits and skills of a chief knowledge officer. The fourth research objective is to evaluate knowledge management. The research methodology that was utilised for this research was literature from books and academic journals. The Internet was utilised as major source to obtain papers written by researchers and theorists on the subject of knowledge and knowledge management. Interviews were obtained online from consultants who interviewed managers from around the world on knowledge management and their view were incorporated into the research. The research was able to meet the overall objective that knowledge management can be a beneficial tool for management. However, it has to be utilised following a certain strategy to be successful in an organisation. This strategy will vary for each organisation as each organisation has different goals and objectives and a different manner in which it utilises knowledge. , Prof. N. Lessing
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An intelligent system for a telecommunications network domain.
- Authors: O'Reilly, Grant Blaise
- Date: 2008-06-02T13:07:46Z
- Subjects: artificial intelligence , knowledge acquisition and representation , ontology , knowledge management , Expert systems , cellular telephone systems
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:8718 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/506
- Description: Knowledge in organizations today is considered as one of the most important assets the organization possesses. A considerable part of this knowledge is the knowledge possessed by the individuals employed by the organization. In order for intelligent systems to perform some of the tasks their human counter parts perform in an organization the intelligent systems need to acquire the knowledge their human counter parts possess for the specific task. To develop an intelligent system that can perform a specific task in an organization, the knowledge needed to perform the task will have to be extracted from the individuals in the organization via knowledge acquisition. This knowledge will then be presented so that the intelligent system can understand it and perform the task. In order to develop an intelligent system an ontology representing the domain under consideration as well as the rules that constitute the reasoning behind the intelligent system needs to be developed. In this dissertation a development environment for developing intelligent systems called the Collaborative Ontology Builder for Reasoning and Analysis (COBRA) was developed. COBRA provides a development environment for developing the ontology and rules for an intelligent system. COBRA was used in this study to develop a Cellular telecommunications Network Consistency Checking Intelligent System (CNCCIS), which was implemented in a cellular telecommunications network. , Prof. E.M. Ehlers
- Full Text:
- Authors: O'Reilly, Grant Blaise
- Date: 2008-06-02T13:07:46Z
- Subjects: artificial intelligence , knowledge acquisition and representation , ontology , knowledge management , Expert systems , cellular telephone systems
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:8718 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/506
- Description: Knowledge in organizations today is considered as one of the most important assets the organization possesses. A considerable part of this knowledge is the knowledge possessed by the individuals employed by the organization. In order for intelligent systems to perform some of the tasks their human counter parts perform in an organization the intelligent systems need to acquire the knowledge their human counter parts possess for the specific task. To develop an intelligent system that can perform a specific task in an organization, the knowledge needed to perform the task will have to be extracted from the individuals in the organization via knowledge acquisition. This knowledge will then be presented so that the intelligent system can understand it and perform the task. In order to develop an intelligent system an ontology representing the domain under consideration as well as the rules that constitute the reasoning behind the intelligent system needs to be developed. In this dissertation a development environment for developing intelligent systems called the Collaborative Ontology Builder for Reasoning and Analysis (COBRA) was developed. COBRA provides a development environment for developing the ontology and rules for an intelligent system. COBRA was used in this study to develop a Cellular telecommunications Network Consistency Checking Intelligent System (CNCCIS), which was implemented in a cellular telecommunications network. , Prof. E.M. Ehlers
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Short term insurance company’s perspective of information management and its influence on continuous improvement (Ci) to improve customer satisfaction
- Mukwakungu, Sambil Charles, Mbohwa, Charles
- Authors: Mukwakungu, Sambil Charles , Mbohwa, Charles
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Information management , Continuous improvement , knowledge management
- Language: English
- Type: Conference proceedings
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/238667 , uj:24495 , Citation: Mukwakungu, S.C. & Mbohwa, C. 2017. Short term insurance company’s perspective of information management and its influence on continuous improvement (Ci) to improve customer satisfaction.
- Description: Abstract: The study presents findings on how a local insurance uses information management to continuously improve customer satisfaction. The use of information and the way it is managed at this insurer are reviewed and CI tools related to information management are proposed. A survey tool was developed to acquire data in terms of information management using a 5-points Likert Scale. The survey intended to shed lights on information management at this local insurer, and to what extent information collected externally (from customers in particular) as well as internally was used in an effort to continuously improve customers’ satisfaction. Company policy establishes a framework within which information should be used in order to continuously improve services to satisfy customers. However, the analysis of the survey results, although inconclusive, shows that employees dealing directly with customers explicitly indicated that there was lack of understanding of the rationale of collecting critical information, and that reporting channels designed to feed information into the system were either misunderstood or simply unknown. This paper builds upon, though limited, related research as well as papers, therefore widening the knowledge in the field of CI in the insurance sector.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mukwakungu, Sambil Charles , Mbohwa, Charles
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Information management , Continuous improvement , knowledge management
- Language: English
- Type: Conference proceedings
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/238667 , uj:24495 , Citation: Mukwakungu, S.C. & Mbohwa, C. 2017. Short term insurance company’s perspective of information management and its influence on continuous improvement (Ci) to improve customer satisfaction.
- Description: Abstract: The study presents findings on how a local insurance uses information management to continuously improve customer satisfaction. The use of information and the way it is managed at this insurer are reviewed and CI tools related to information management are proposed. A survey tool was developed to acquire data in terms of information management using a 5-points Likert Scale. The survey intended to shed lights on information management at this local insurer, and to what extent information collected externally (from customers in particular) as well as internally was used in an effort to continuously improve customers’ satisfaction. Company policy establishes a framework within which information should be used in order to continuously improve services to satisfy customers. However, the analysis of the survey results, although inconclusive, shows that employees dealing directly with customers explicitly indicated that there was lack of understanding of the rationale of collecting critical information, and that reporting channels designed to feed information into the system were either misunderstood or simply unknown. This paper builds upon, though limited, related research as well as papers, therefore widening the knowledge in the field of CI in the insurance sector.
- Full Text:
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